Machine for separating the outside thread of a warp



Ma rch' 15, 1960 A. ALTENWEGER 2,928,159

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING THE OUTSIDE THREAD OF A WARP Filed Dec. 29, 1958V EHER II- l mw MQ IN V EN TOR.

v G M E v w A m. A my 8 L A Alois Altenweger, Uster, Switzerland,assignor. to Zell- *arating the outside thread of a warp United StatesPatent-O on SEPARA'I'ING' OUTSIDE THREAD OF A WARP weger A.G.,Apparateund. Maschinenfabriken Uster,

1 Uster, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application December29, 1958, Sierialllo. 783,428

Claims priority, application Switzerland The'present invention relatesto-a machine for sep- 1 from the other warp threads. I

Mechanisms are known for separating the outside thread of a warp andpresenting the separated warp thread to a tying machine. Thesemechanisms are pro- :vided with a;feeler which forms part of-anapparatus for I stopping the mechanism, if no thread has been separated.

The Swiss Patent No. 139,632Jshows a mechanism which is stopped onlyafter the thread separating movement has the thread separating machineis reducedthere is a greater probability that a thread is caught andseparated than if the machine continues to operate at the same speed. Itis an objectof the present invention to provide a lwarp' threadseparating machine which continues to opcrate an adjustablepredetermined number of times when;

'no thread is separated and in which the speed of operation'ofthemachine is progressively'reduced as the number of idle operationsincreases. The mechani m accord- 4 ing to the invention may be providedwith means for adjusting. the initialor basic speed ofoperation ofthe'jmachine which speed is reduced, if no thread is separated.

Additionally, the machine may be provided with a device,.which.indicates .whether the machine has performed an 5 even number oran odd number of idle operations. ing which no thread was separated.

The novel features which are considered characteristic durof theinvention are set forth with particularity. in .the

appended claimsi The invention itself, however, and additional objectsand advantages thereof will best be understood from the followingdescription of an embodiment thereof when read connection with theaccompanying drawing the one' figure of which diagrammaticallyillustrates, by way of example, a mechanism according to the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral 1 designates anoutside thread of a warp 2 which thread is separated from the warp bymeans of a conventional 6 needle 3 upon downward movement of the latter.llhe needle 3 is moved up and down by means of a lever'4 H which isconnected for'oscillation with a driving' motor" 50 by conventionalmeans indicated by a dash-dot line and not shown in detail. In theillustrated embodiment 7 of the invention, the thread 1 is taken over bya hook at the end of an elements and moved to the right for 8 .iuges theelements to mbve towards each other.

2,928,159 Patented Mar. 15, 19 60 presentation, for example, to a tyingmechanism, not --shown.

v The element 5 is movable relative to a T-shaped element 6 with whichit is connected by a spring 7 which This movement is limited by a pin 8mounted on the element '5. The assembly 5, 6, 7 is guided to move on astraight line by a stationary pin 9 extending into a slot 10 in theelement 5 and by a stationary guide 11 which slidably guides-the element6. The latter is reciprocated by a "crank 12 to which it is connected bya rod 13. The crank 12 is driven by the motor 50 through means,indicated by adash-dotline and not shown in detail. Since the element 6is connected with the element 5 by the spring 7 the element.5 isreciprocated with the element '6, pulling the weft thread'l, which hasbeen pushed-down- -ward by the needle 3, to the right and against an armof an elbow lever 14. The latter is thereby swung counterclockwiseagainst the action of aspring 15 from a rest 5 ice 0 'position definedby a stationary pin 16. The end of the the same speed; It has been foundthat if the speed of 'free arm of the lever 14 is provided with a catch17- co operating with a nose 18' on the element 5. The catch 17 is movedout of the way of the nose 18 when the lever 14 is swungcounterclockwise so that the element 5 can 25 follow the movements ofthe element 6 whereby the pin 8 abuts against the element 6. If no weftthread 1 is seized by the needle 3, the lever 14 remains in theillust'rated position whereby the nose 18 abuts against the catch 17 andthe element 5 is stopped after a short movement to the right, while theelement 6 continues to move Fto the right, tensioning the spring 7 andmoving away stem the pin or abutment '8.

A: long as the thread separating mechanism operates orderly the relativeposition of the elements 5 and 6 is not changed and an extension 22 of apawl 19 swingable on a pin 20 which is mounted on the element 6 ispressed against an abutment 23 on the element 5 by means of aspring 21.The result is that the pawl performs a true translatory movement onlyand does not engage a ratchetv wheel 24. If the thread separating devicefails to separate a thread, the element 6 and. the pawl 19 move awayfrom the abutment ,23 so that the pawl can movecounterclockwise due tothe action of the spring 21 and engage -the ratchet wheel 24 and, -uponcontinued movement of the element 6 to the right, shifts the ratchetwheel by one tooth. The ratchet wheel 24 rotates on a shaft 25 and isrigidly connected with a disc 29 provided with an abutmm 30. A spiralspring 28, having an end connected 'toL-a pin 27 mounted on the ratchetwheel and the, other end connected by a pin 26 to a toothed wheel 32which is rotatable on the shaft 25, tends to rotate the ratchet wheel 24in clockwise direction. A pawl 34 prevents clockwise rotation of thewheel 24 so that the ratchet wheel is rotated counterclockwise by onetooth at each movement of the pawl 19 to the right.

When the thread separating mechanism functions normally the element 5moves with the element 6 and a nose 35 on the former engages anextension of the pawl 34, "disengaging the latter from the ratchet wheelagainst the action of a spring 36. Since, at the same time, the pawl 19is'disengaged from the ratchet wheel, the spring 28 can turn the ratchetwheel clockwise until the abutment abuts a pin 31 mounted on the wheelor disc 32. If the latter is turned, after release of a latch 37i'against the action of a spring 38, the initial positionof the wheel 24can be changed as desired.

The abutment 30 engages a pin 39 after a predeterminednumber of idlestrokes of the needle 3, when the latter fails to separate a threadwhereby this number of idle strokes depends on the positionof the wheel32 jwith the abutment '31. Engagement of the pin 39 by theabutmenteffects stopping of the motor 50in a manner which will be describedlater. The mechanism described: so far is conventional an affordsselection andadjustment of the number ofidle strokes of the threadseparating needle which are needed for stopping the machine.

in the machine according "to =the invention a toothed wheel 40 iscoaxially mounted on the-ratchetwheehz i,

"the-teeth of the wheel 40 being in meshwith' teeth-of a rack rod 41.The latter isgguidedto move in axial direc- -tion by guides 42 and'43.-The-upper part of the rack rod- 41 is threaded and carries a nut- 44-which can be locked inadesired position by a lock-nut 45. The nut 44 isprovided with a pin 46 extending into a slot a47-of a'lever 48 whosefree-endis rigidly connected with a-brush support element d9 of-theelectric repulsion motor 59. When the ratchet wheel 24 with the, toothedwheel 40am -in-the initial position, i.e.' in the positionin whichtheyare as long as the machine operates normally, the-initial speed of themotor- 50 can be adjusted byadjusting the position of the nut 44 on therod 41. If the machine fails '-to separate a warp thread, the toothedwheel 40 stepwisely moves therod 41 and the lever 48 into positionscorresponding to reduced speeds of the motor 50. The thread separatingoperation is, therefore, performed under-"more favorable conditions. If,after a certain wheel, 61 is prevented by apawl s2 which is swipgable,on a pin 63 and urged in clockwise direction toward the ratchet wheel bymeans of aspring 64. A toothed wheel is coaxially connected to the wheel61. The teeth of the wheel are so shapedgthatleach gap '66 between twoteeth corresponds .to two .teethof the .ratchetwheel 61.

A 'pin"'67 is urged againstithe wheel;l65- by means ofa spring 68 andhas a free end adapted to be received in the; gaps -between...theteethof the wheel '65 and. toslidingly engage thetto'oth tlanks. The toothflanksdefining a gap and the free end of the pin 67 are soshaped thatthe pin 67 moves the wheel 55 counterclockwise by pressing against oneflank until the other flank rests on the side of the pin 67, preventingrotation of the wheel 65. The pin 67 is in the left position, shown insolid lines, after an even number of idlemovementsof the threadseparatnumber of idle strokes of the needle 3, a thread is caught andseparated, the ratchet wheel is returnedvbythespring ZS-into an initialposition which is defined by the position of the disc 32 and the pin 31.Simultaneously, the r0d-41 7' is moved downward and-the motor 50operatesagain at its initially adjusted relatively high speed.

If, due to unfavorable circumstances, no thread-is-sep arat ed after apredetermined number: of idle operations of the" needle 3, the abutment3t} engages the pin 39 and moves it to the left. A lever 51 having anarm pivoted to the pin 39 isthereby swung in clockwise direction againstthe action of the spring 36. A hook 52 at the end of an arm of the lever51 is thereby pulled out of a corre:,

sponding recess in a bolt 54 which can now-move upward due to the actionof a spring 53. This upward movement releases the bolt 54 from a switch55 which is opened thereby. The switch 55 controls the operation of themotor 50, stopping the motor when:the spring is opened, by conventionalmeans indicated by a dotted line.

When the mechanism is in normal operating position,

the motor can be started by depressing thebolt 541against 'the action ofthe. spring. 53 and closing the switch .155.

ing mechanism and is in the right position, shown in dash-dotdinesin thedrawing, after, an odd number of .idle movements. Thev position, of thepin 67, instantly indicates odd numbers and even numbers ofidlez-movements oftneweft thread separating machine.

. I claim:

1. In a machine for separating 'theoutside warp: thread of a.warp,-inc1uding drive means fordriving the machine, a'memberconnectedto and driven by saiddrive means -for periodically. moving-towardsthewarp thread -to-be separatedand, .upon engagement with the warpthread, movingfthecwarp thread. away from the. other warp -l.thre'ads,vafeeler' adapted to be engaged by a separated iwarplithread means forstopping said drive means, and

; a, mechanism operatively. associated, with. said. stopping means.andw'ithsaid feeler. and including..means.for-. ac- .tuating saidstoppingmeansto stop s'aiddrivemeansafter a predetermined number of idlemovements of said member during which said member 'fails tocngagc a warpthre'ad: wherein said .mechanism includes means for re- .drivemearisbefore the speed is reduced by an idlemove- Since-the hook'52 retainsthebolt inthe depressed position, the motor continues to operate. "If, Iafter a prede v fterm ined number of idle strokes of thepin 3, the hook52 is disengaged from the bolt 54,'only a continued manual depression ofthe bolt 54 willkeep the motor 50in operation. This is of advantage,because insome cases it is desirable to operate the motor in spite ofanirregularityin the thread separatingoperation. On the other hand," themotor can be stopped, even if the machine "operates normally,.bymanually turning the lever..51.in

clockwise direction.

In tying machines in which the threadsof theus'ed. up warp must beconnected to the threads of the newwarp 'two weft separating mechanismsare mirror-symmetrically arranged. In order to recognize double threads.in leased warps it is of advantage to "be able to ascertain immediatelywhether the number of idle movements .of the separating needle isodd oreven. For this purposea pawl 57 is pivoted at 56 to the element 6. Aspring 58 tends to swing the pawl 57 in clockwise direction untilan\extension 59 of the pawl abuts a pin 66 which ismounted onv theelement 5. 1 The pawl 57 is adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 61 in thesame manner as the. pawl 19 en gages the ratchet wheel 24, i.e., theratchet wheel 61 isnot engaged as long as -the machineoperates nonnallyand {the ratchet wheel is moved by one-toothat eachidle strdkeofthenee'dle 3. Reverse movement of msratcher ment-i'of'said member.

4. In a machine as defined in claim land wherein said mechanism includestwo movable elements, yielding means interconnecting said elements andpermittingrelative movement'of said elements, the first of said elements"beingconnected. .with said drivemeans for periodically moving saidelements, the second 'of said elements being engaged and held stationarybyisaid feeler when the lat- "terfailstoengage a warpthread, and meansconnected "with the first of said elements'forengaging' said actuatingmeans when said'iirstelement is' 'moved by said drive 'irneansrelatively to'the stationary second element against the action of" saidyielding means. i

"- 5'.--Ina machine according toclaim 4 and wherein said=mechanismincludesmeans' forreturning, upon disengagement of said-."feeler" from'said second eiernent,

'lockingme'mber, aspringiconnected with said. locking member'and urgingsaid locking member into unlocking ipositioniforeffecting."actuationi'of said stopping means, 'i and a latch adapted toengagefsaid locking member for holding; it;1against" the actionfof said.springiin locking position for'prevehting actu'ationof said stoppingmeans,

said mechanism including means engaging said latch numbers and evennumbers of idle movements of said member and disengaging the latter fromsaid locking member. member for effecting actuation of said stoppingmeans. a

7. In a machine as defined in claim 1 a device opera- References Ciiefi'in the file of h Patent tively associated with said mechanism forindicating odd 5 l FOREIGN PATENTS 139,632 Switzerland July 1, 1930

